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| Joe prospecting or resting a sore shoulder? |
I messaged my dad on Friday morning while at work: Get your surf stuff ready. 3:30 AM my crib. And he simply replied: I will be there. Anxious to cast a new acquisition, a discontinued-but-treasured-in-some-circles Cabela’s Predator surf rod, Joe was indeed at my crib before 3:30 AM. I had gotten my stuff ready on Friday night after putting the boy to bed, so we were on the road, suited up, and fishing an Ocean County beach by 5:15 AM.
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| A fat bucktail-eating schoolie bass |
Despite very light SW winds, there was a good swell hitting the beach when we arrived. High tide was not until about 8 AM, so things got rougher as the morning progressed, but it was a good rough. There was plenty of white water, and big waves hitting the beach where there were cuts in the bar. We were both overdressed for the air temp, and it was not safe to walk into the cooling water more than a couple feel, so swamp ass was on the menu. It was one of those days where the waves returning behind you were strong enough to take your feet out from under you. But with no grass in the water, and even some birds diving out beyond casting distance, not to mention the distinct smell of nearby bunker schools a couple times, it could have been a great morning. This time of year, when the small bass signal the end of the fall run, is one of my favorite times to fish. Sure, I like a big bass as much as anyone, but I also like the prospect of catching 10, 20, 30 bass in a session. They will hit plugs, bucktails, shad bodies, small metals, basically whatever conditions will allow.
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| About 26 inches (measured by boot). |
I started out throwing a 5” Mag Minnow floater and a black teaser. I got no love before sun up on either. My dad was throwing a 1 oz bucktail with a shad body. He also got no love. Around 7 AM, after 90 minutes and many casts, I switched up to a ¾ oz. white bucktail and kept the black teaser. While holding the swimming bucktail behind the first the wave, I finally got the bump of a decent fish. Though short, he was fat and accounted well for himself, especially on my light Ron Arra 1083 rod, perfect for this kind of fishing. Joe’s new rod, which I cast a few times, was also perfect for this fishing, but despite changing lures a couple times, and making many casts himself, he came up with a goose egg.
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| Another shortie. He preferred the teaser. |
I landed one more short, this time on the teaser, again right in the wash behind the first wave. I was happy to have a couple fish to show for all the effort, but I was pleading with the fish gods that Joey would feel the tug of a bass. We ran into a few other pluggers who had similar results: the schoolies are there, but spread out all over. Instead of getting 5 from the same structure, it was 1 or two and then done. On foot, without a buggy, I was happy to have some action and some fishing time with the old man. On the way home, the gas was $1.75 a gallon!! And my wife got to enjoy some Jersey bagels as a thank you for letting me sneak out on a weekend morning (again). I may have one (or two) more surf trips in me, especially since I have 2 weeks off at Christmas. If it stays mild, trout fishing all winter is on the horizon….
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| Nice to end with a sunrise pic instead of leading with one this week! |
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